Samsung activates function rendering TVs looted in July USELESS

People who made off with Samsung TV sets during the July riots are in for a nasty surprise: Samsung South Africa has announced that it has activated a TV Block function on all its sets that were looted during the unrest.

This function will render the TV completely useless. According to the electronics manufacturer, the function allows them to remotely brick a TV from working.

“In keeping with our values to leverage the power of technology to resolve societal challenges, we will continuously develop and expand strategic products in our consumer electronics division with defence-grade security, purpose-built, with innovative and intuitive business tools designed for a new world. This technology can have a positive impact at this time, and will also be of use to both the industry and customers in the future,”said Mike Van Lier, director of consumer electronics at Samsung South Africa.

Samsung TV Block: How it works

According to Samsung South Africa, the TV Block function, which is being implemented this week, comes into effect when the user of a stolen set connects to the internet, in order to operate it.

Once connected, the serial number of the television is identified on the Samsung server and the blocking system is implemented, disabling all the television functions. Should a customer’s TV be incorrectly blocked, the functionality can be reinstated once proof of purchase and a valid TV license is shared to serv.manager@samsung.com

“As an organisation we acknowledge the critical role in giving our customers and client the peace of mind. Working together, we can overcome the impact of the unprecedented disruption to business, as experienced by many of us recently. We will continue to review the situation and will make adjustments as necessary to ensure business continuity for all”

Mike Van Lier, director of consumer electronics at Samsung South Africa

The July riots made global headlines. They started out as semi-violent demonstrations demanding former president Jacob Zuma’s release from prison in KZN, but soon morphed into riots which saw shopping malls and other establishments being targeted. The unrest soon spread to parts of Gauteng after which the violence escalated. More than 330 people were killed in the chaos.